Chamber News

This is your RISC-Y Business email for July 16, 2010

BE THERE TUESDAY MORNING!!

RISC BUSINESS NETWORK TO KICK OFF CAMPAIGN AND ANNOUNCE ENDORSED CANDIDATES
                  

TUESDAY JULY 20 CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL, WARWICK
BREAKFAST MEETING 7:30 am - 9:30 am
NEWS CONFERENCE TO FOLLOW 9:30 am LOBBY

The RISC Business Network will officially launch its Pro-Jobs/Pro-Business platform campaign and announce its list of endorsed candidates to date for General Assembly at a Breakfast Reception and News Conference on Tuesday, July 20th at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Warwick. The Breakfast Reception Meeting begins at 7:30 am and the News Conference will be held at 9:30 am.

The kick-off by the Network’s election campaign, called RBN2010, will include the unveiling of: a Candidate’s Pledge, which all endorsed candidates must sign; the Pro Growth Agenda Platform, which serves as the centerpiece of the campaign; and the introduction of both incumbent and new candidates who have thus far been endorsed by the Business Network or RBN2010. The RBN2010 endorsement carries with it an array of pledges of financial campaign support which is being managed through the RBN website. www.rbn2010.com

           “Job creation is the top objective of this business network,” says RBN spokeswoman Arlene Violet. “We are engaging the business sector of this state right now, this campaign season, so there will be a business community left standing to provide jobs for the future.”

You don't have to be a business owner to get involved in this effort!

RSVP: 213-6316 or
cat@risc-ri.org.

Click here for an invitation to the RISC Annual Summer Meeting on August 7th!

TO TRACK KEY VOTES OF YOUR LEGISLATORS, SEE THE RISC WEBSITE

Today's News!

Rhode Island Statewide Coalition is on FaceBook and myRISC.com

RISC Business Network is on FaceBook , Twitter, LinkedIn, and myRISC.com

Vote on this week's poll: www.statewidecoalition.com:

A record number of candidates filed papers to launch campaigns for General Assembly seats recently. Some political observers say because the public is angry at elected officials, they are more likely to volunteer to help new candidates than in past years. Are you more likely to get involved in a local campaign effort this year than in years past?

Three Million Imaginary Jobs

It may be that the last people in America who believe that the $862 billion economic stimulus of February 2009 created millions of net new jobs are Vice President Joe Biden and the staff economists in the White House. Yesterday, President Obama's chief economist announced that the plan had "created or saved" between 2.5 million and 3.6 million jobs and raised GDP by 2.7% to 3.2% through June 30. Don't you feel better already?

Christina Romer went so far as to claim that the 3.5 million new jobs that she promised while the stimulus was being debated in Congress will arrive "two quarters earlier than anticipated." Yup, the official White House line is that the plan is working better than even they had hoped.

Click here to read more...

R.I. foreclosures drop in June, but more distressed loans ‘just below the surface’

PROVIDENCE – The number of foreclosure notices in Rhode Island dropped 64 percent in June compared with the same month last year, RealtyTrac Inc. said Thursday.

The Irvine, Calif.-based real-estate tracking firm said 327 properties in Rhode Island, or one in every 1,382 homes, received a foreclosure notice in June. The state’s foreclosure rate ranked 39th-highest among the 50 states. Nationally, RealtyTrac said one in every 411 homes received a foreclosure notice in June, a decline of 7 percent from a year earlier.

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PUC lets hearing on Deepwater Wind - National Grid power deal go forward

WARWICK – The R.I. Public Utilities Commission unanimously allowed a hearing key to the advancement of an offshore wind farm to continue Thursday despite objections from an environmental group.

Thursday’s ruling means that the commission will go on mulling whether to approve a power-purchase agreement between wind farm developer Deepwater Wind and utility National Grid.

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Westerly: School leaders feel dissed by council

The school board had wanted details about the consolidation plan before the council proposed putting the question to voters.

By EMILY DUPUIS

Sun Staff Writer

WESTERLY — School Committee members say their council counterparts jumped the gun with a proposal to ask voters this fall if they support more town and school mergers.

Their concern comes two days after councilors proposed placing on the November ballot a non-binding referendum question to gauge public support for future consolidation of town and school operations.

“It seems like the Town Council is jumping the gun. And I don’t think any decision should be made until we have the detail that we’ve asked for, that both parties asked for,” School Committee Chairman James Murano Jr. said Wednesday night.

The council is expected to formally vote on the proposed nonbinding referendum question, as well as a $6.5 million road and infrastructure bond, on Monday. Questions must be submitted by Aug. 1 to go on the ballot.

Murano said councilors had an opportunity to first discuss the proposed ballot question with school officials, rather than “unilaterally” make a decision that affects both departments.

He and the schools superintendent were scheduled to meet this afternoon with the town manager and council president. They plan to discuss the merger of town and school human resources duties as well as the potential consolidation of the two department’s finance operations, he said. Murano described comments made by councilors this week as “disheartening.”

“I hope we’re able to clear it up a little bit better tomorrow,” he added.

School board members said they believed the town manager would provide a more detailed proposal and list of cost savings for the finance department consolidation, following a joint council and school board meeting held earlier this year.

Murano said councilors are now skipping this step. “Once we had that information, we would then be able to chew on it a little bit better and maybe have another joint meeting and maybe make a recommendation to go one way or the other,” he said, adding board members cannot support a plan without demonstrated savings.

Schools Superintendent Roy Seitsinger, attending his first committee meeting since starting work earlier this month, said the school department had not received that information from the town.

Board member Louis Sposato said he would like to see a proposal that details employee qualifications, job duties, salaries, the selection process, chain of command, work location, work hours and grievance procedures.

“That’s the level of detail that I expect to see from this plan that’s being developed,” he said. “If we don’t get this plan, I think we’re … doing a disservice, because we’re not receiving the level of detail we need to make an informed, rational, intelligent decision in the best interest of the public.”

Murano said the public should have the same information if they are being asked to vote on the nonbinding referendum question.

Board member David Patten, who attended this week’s council meeting, said consolidation is “inevitable” as the town and school department face financial pressures. But he suggested local officials hire an independent consultant to complete an in-depth analysis and make a recommendation.

“If we’re going to do it, we need to do it right,” Patten said. “I support consolidation because I think it helps us preserve programs for the students, but I want to do it right.”

In proposing the ballot question Monday, Councilor Jack Felber said he did not want to portray a division between the council and school board.

But he said, “There were certain priorities that we felt more strongly about than the school board. Essentially, they revolve around consolidation.”

Felber proposed asking the public for direction.

Councilor Brian McCuin said school officials have “been the ones to point their fingers at us” about issues with building and grounds maintenance, following consolidations within that department that placed the care of school grounds under the town’s control.

“But I think it’s also time to say you did not implement a plan that you approved,” he added of the school department and a merger of town and school human resources duties.

Council President Diana Avedesian said “personality issues” held up the human resources consolidation, part of a plan endorsed by both the council and school board more than a year ago.

Murano said the human resources operations have not been merged. He did not explain why, but said it was “through no fault of this committee.”

edupuis@thewesterlysun. com

Lynch clears way for Caprio

PROVIDENCE — Lagging in polls and fundraising, Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch dropped out of the race for governor on Thursday and endorsed his Democratic primary opponent, Frank T. Caprio, the current state treasurer, after sending months of sharply worded campaign barbs his way.

Lynch made the announcement in a video posted on YouTube.

Click here to read more...

Providence City Council Finance Committee endorses hike in tax rate

PROVIDENCE — The City Council’s finance committee approved on Wednesday a tax rate increase for residential and commercial properties in the fiscal year that started July 1, but no change in the car tax and tangible personal property tax.

The committee’s proposed tax rates for residential and commercial properties are higher than those proposed by Mayor David N. Cicilline earlier this year.

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Hearing on Block Island marina’s expansion ends

NARRAGANSETT — The latest round in the Champlin’s Marina saga came abruptly to a close at midday Thursday as both sides rested their cases over an application to dramatically expand the marina in Block Island’s Great Salt Pond.

Lawyers for the marina and the town raised numerous objections to a compromise expansion plan offered by Dan Goulet, an engineer for the Coastal Resources Management Council. That seems to leave both sides as far apart as they were when the battle started seven years ago, with the town wanting no expansion and the marina wanting to use four more acres of the pond.

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EDC requests revisions in 38 Studios proposed $75-million loan guarantee

The Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation, meeting in executive session Thursday, requested the EDC staff make some minor revisions in a proposed $75 million loan guarantee to 38 Studios LLC, the video-game company founded by retired Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling.

A spokesperson for the EDC said the changes involve 38 Studios’ collateral for the loan, and defining the number and timing of the jobs 38 Studios would bring to Rhode Island.

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State’s jobless rate declines to 12 percent

On the surface, there is good news in the state unemployment numbers released Friday. The Rhode Island jobless rate dropped to 12 percent in June, a decline from 12.3 percent in May, and the number of people classified as unemployed decreased by 1,900, falling to 69,300.

Payroll jobs in the state stayed unchanged at 451,400, with a gain of 800 jobs in the private sector offset by a loss of 800 in government, mainly temporary census jobs. Since June 2009, the state has lost 7,900 jobs.

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To Protest Hiring of Nonunion Help, Union Hires Nonunion Pickets

WASHINGTON—Billy Raye, a 51-year-old unemployed bike courier, is looking for work.

Fortunately for him, the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council of Carpenters is seeking paid demonstrators to march and chant in its current picket line outside the McPherson Building, an office complex here where the council says work is being done with nonunion labor.

"For a lot of our members, it's really difficult to have them come out, either because of parking or something else," explains Vincente Garcia, a union representative who is supervising the picketing.

So instead, the union hires unemployed people at the minimum wage—$8.25 an hour—to walk picket lines. Mr. Raye says he's grateful for the work, even though he's not sure why he's doing it. "I could care less," he says. "I am being paid to march around and sound off."

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Woonsocket: State stalls city teacher pact

WOONSOCKET — The school department and the Woonsocket Teachers Guild have come to terms on a contract agreement providing significant concessions on salary and benefits over the next three years, but as of this week still haven’t finalized the pact.

The delay is the result of a review conducted by the state Department of Revenue and a subsequent request lodged by Rosemary Booth Gallogly, acting director, for more work by the sides.
Gallogly sent the school committee a letter noting that retiree health care costs included in the current contract have not been addressed by the tentative pact.

While commending the panel’s efforts to “bring spending in line with the resources available to the city,” Gallogly also noted that a significant cost component of retiree benefits was not addressed by the proposed pact.

Click here to read more...

RISC
P.O. Box 567, Charlestown, RI 02813/ Phone: 401-213-6316 / Fax: 401-213-6307 Email: info@risc-ri.orgWeb: www.statewidecoalition.com

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